A/N: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIII DON'T HAVE A SET UPLOAD DATE
Also since the war is going to happen soon, I'm gonna put Dragon speech in italics so it doesn't draw away from the intensity. :U This chapter is short and I ain't that pleased with it... But I'm never really pleased with my writing most of the time :'D Honestly for this chapter, don't think too hard about Romulus and whatever he says. Like just don't. If it makes you feel better just imagine Romulus is asexual for this.
"It's about time you've arrived!" The small Drake snarled, his tone really holding no bite.
Gilbert huffed, dropping the sack of gems next to the feline-sized reptile. "Walking on two legs isn't exactly the fastest way to travel, Elder Frumo."
Frumo snorted, opening the satchel and sticking half his body in it. "You should think about growing wings then! You're a Dragon, not a Drake!"
Yanking out a large crystal, the Elder pushed it to the side slightly. "Ynerva, begin making the powder with this. Add it to the pot once you're done."
A rumbling sound came from what Alfred had assumed was a pile of large boulders, but at this point he should've just assumed everything was a Dragon. The rocks moved and shifted, uncurling from itself to reveal that it was actually another Drake, this one looking like her body was made out of stone. No wonder Alfred had been under the assumption it was just a pile of rocks.
"Wassit?" Ynerva lifted her head, sniffing as she blinked blind eyes. "Oh! Right the serum."
She pulled herself over to the rock Frumo had pushed in her direction, moving over to a large black kettle stewing over a fire, an ominous blue liquid bubbling from it.
Gilbert moved away from Alfred's side and over towards Ynerva, frowning as he watched her crush the gem with her club tail. He hesitated, wringing his hands together in a nervous gesture.
"Speak, hatchling." She hummed, not even bothering to look his way, not that it'd have been any help. "Your staring is going to strain your eyes."
"Will Feliks… Be ok? I haven't seen him since we got back."
"He is a menace!" Frumo sniffed in indignation, pointing his muzzle up towards the cave ceiling.
Another Elder, this one a slim Eastern Dragon, blew smoke from her nose as she moved over to Frumo, pushing him out of the way. "Out of the way you old lizard! You're just saying that because he tried hexing you!"
"Exactly! Who tries to hex a Dragon?!" Frumo scowled, hunching his small form. "When I was your age, magic folk weren't stupid enough to try and use magic on us. We were the ones who taught them how to cast spells! Yet here they are, throwing fireballs without a care in the world!"
The Eastern Dragon rolled her eyes, handing Alfred a few more crystals to carry over to Ynerva. "Just ignore him, hatchling. Take these to Ynerva."
Alfred nodded, ignoring the raving coming from the little Drake. He had a lot of emotion for such a small thing. Standing next to Gilbert, Alfred hesitantly waited, unsure of how to give the blind Drake the minerals.
"Just set them down," Ynerva hummed, taking the wooden plate the crushed up gem had been on and tipping its powdery contents into the brewing liquid. It reacted by creating bubbles in a furious manner before settling again.
Doing as he was told, Alfred and Gilbert watched in silence as Ynerva worked, adding more and more to the brew. Eventually after the fifth plate-full, the liquid turned into a cool, metallic silver. Fruma, having been lying on the outcropping of rock above them, let out a squawk in order to get Ynerva's attention.
"No more, you'll ruin the mix!"
Ynerva growled, baring her teeth more out of annoyance than anything. "I'm blind, not deaf, no need to shout."
Sliding up next to them, Yen, the third Elder working on this mixture, took the pot in her front claws, moving back with it towards another section of their work station. She moved easily, her six legs unhindered despite two being occupied with the pot. Setting the cauldron on a table, she took a ladle and poured a good amount in a smaller bowl.
"Now we just have to force-feed him this every ten minutes till it's all gone. Hatchlings, you go up and leave this to us. We'll come get you when you're needed." Yen hummed, waving them off with a hand.
Gilbert took Alfred by the arm, pulling him out towards the Den entrance. Once they were no longer inside, Gilbert let go of Alfred and took a deep breath. His shoulders were tense and a deep frown was etched into his face.
Alfred watched, his own face twisted with worry. Reaching out, Alfred laid a hand on Gilbert's shoulder, startling the other slightly from his thoughts.
"You ok…?" Alfred asked.
Sighing, Gilbert's tense posture lessened a small amount. He bit his lip, hesitating before he rested his hand on Alfred's and squeezed it. "I'm… Worried. About Feliks. He's been under their control for years, Al. His lover, his old life, he might never be able to get those back. I don't even know if his lover is still looking for him or if he just gave up. I can't imagine what Feliks might feel if that's the case, should this thing work."
"It will work," Alfred squeezed Gilbert's shoulder, "I have faith in the Elders. They'll break Feliks out of this spell."
Chuckling, Gilbert smiled lightly, sighing. "I appreciate your optimism."
Alfred shrugged, grinning. "Someone's gotta stay positive."
The two fell into silence, though not an uncomfortable one. Gilbert licked his lips, flexing his fingers as he tried to think of something to say. Yet instead of saying what he wanted to, mainly about the geode which was in a small pouch tied to his waist, Gilbert shook his head and took a step away from Alfred.
"I'm… Going to go find Yao. I need to get back to my shop, make sure no one is getting suspicious about my absence."
"Oh, yeah, right. That would be bad if people got suspicious." Alfred's smile turned a bit strained, the blond disappointed he wouldn't be able to spend some more time with Gilbert.
Yet he still waved Gilbert off, watching him leave and trying not to sigh too much. Alfred moved towards the section of the wide fields reserved for training the warriors, the former Knight intending on getting some sparring in till the day was over or till he was needed.
When he got to the training area, there were, as expected, already people there. Creatures of all kinds were sparring with each other, a few humans also in the mix. A Naga was wrestling with a Werewolf, the Werewolf probably learning how to get out of tightly confined spaces, meaning the serpent's coils.
Germania was there, watching over the sparring of a cluster of Dragons and their human partners that'd be riding with them. Romulus was leaning against the large beast, he being Germania's partner for sparring matches like this.
"Francis, you're too stiff! Loosen up when moving or else you'll get knocked off mid-flight!" Romulus called, watching said man get knocked off when Antonio tackled him off the back of his own Dragon.
Curses could be heard spewing from the blond in the dirt, an affronted squeal leaving him when Antonio decided to start tickling him. Alfred laughed as he watched Francis try to bat his lover's hands away, his wriggling redoubled.
Germania rolled his eyes, "You two are horrible sparring partners. Please be serious about this for once?"
His eyes flickered over to Alfred and, at the sight of the blond, Germania's demeanour change. He looked down to Romulus, nudging him barely, but enough to cause the human to stumble a bit.
"Watch them, correct anything you see fit. I need to talk to the boy."
Romulus glanced at Alfred, grinning before he laughed. "Alright. Hey Alfred, when Germania's done talking to you, come find me. I'll give you tips!"
Germania grimaced at the man, moving away from him towards Alfred. "I'd rather you didn't aid him. If anything you'd make his chances even worse."
Confused, Alfred watched Germania make his way over to him. Alfred nodded his head in greeting, watching as Germania lowered himself slightly. Alfred knew that as the signal for him to climb on the Wyvern's back. Wasting no time, Alfred vaulted up on the large reptile, sitting on his back. Germania looked at him over his shoulder and let out an inquisitive hum.
"Comfortable?"
"Um… Yes?"
Germania faced forward and without warning, launched into the air at a breakneck speed. Alfred bit back a yelp, clinging expertly to Germania's back as they climbed higher and higher into the air.
Suddenly the flying evened out and they were simply gliding through the sparse clouds, Germania occasionally flapping his wings. He said nothing while Alfred tried to gather his wits, wondering just what he did to make Germania fly him high into the air without warning.
"So, an iris agate geode?"
Alfred groaned, rubbing at his face with one hand. "Ludwig told you? Man that's embarrassing."
"Are you aware of the meaning behind giving a Dragon a gem?" Germania asked, tilting his head so he could observe Alfred from the corner of his eye.
Alfred's brows creased as he thought about that. "Well… I know it wasn't really an insult. Because Ludwig said the rarer the better and Gilbert told me he loved it. So I guess it means… Something good?"
A deep rumbling left Germania, the Wyvern wondering where to start. Sighing, he closed his eyes and nodded, turning to face forward.
"When a Dragon courts another Dragon, they will first do something to get their attention. This could be hunting for them or going out of their way to do something for them. The more often it occurs, the easier it is to tell that the Dragon is attempting to court them."
Alfred began paling slightly the more Germania began to speak. He was suddenly very concerned with where this was going.
"After a while, the Dragon doing the courting will go and search for a gift to give. First they start out with something small, like a few coins, necklaces, or pearls. Despite eating the jewels and stones, it isn't the same as hunting, in our eyes. This is taking the time to search for the perfect gift and deliver it to the intended mate. If the gifts are rejected, that is a sign that the other Dragon does not appreciate your advances and, even if they were ok with you hunting for them, they no longer wish to be courted.
"But if the gifts are accepted, then you would continue to give different kinds of gifts. The rarer the gift, the better, for it shows how interested you are. It's a confirmation on how much your intended mate means to you. After that, you would need to invite the other to fly with you. This is important, for it is a personal request and is to not be shared with anyone but your intended mate. Dragons are aware of the differences between requests for a companion flight verses a courting flight."
Germania quieted, waiting for all this information to sink in. He took the time to land on a cliff and into a little alcove, just in case Alfred fell from shock. At least this way he'd land on a closer ground and not plummet from the sky. Alfred swayed slightly as the information began to sink in. All the while emotions raged within him, fluctuating between regret and elation.
Flicking his tongue out and flicking it in the air, Germania hummed as he turned his head to look at Alfred. "After the flight, it is the Dragon who is being courted that will take it from there. They will show they are interested by hunting for their courter and then giving them a gift. They won't request to fly in the end, they will demand a fight. You must show your dedication to them by trying to best them in a fight. Even if you fail, if they admire your tenacity and drive, they will accept you as their mate. To accept the fight is the most important thing, for it shows you see your intended mate as a strong warrior and not a meek thing that must be cared for."
Alfred held up a hand, clearing his throat. "Wait, wait. Are you telling me this for the reason I think you are?"
"Essentially, Yuvon Krein, you've skipped all the way past step three in courting my son."
A breath of air left Alfred, the blond slumping on Germania's back as he pressed a hand to his head. "Oh dear… So… That's why he seemed embarrassed."
Germania hummed, watching Alfred slide off his back and onto the floor. The human instantly began pacing the moment his feet touched solid ground. Germania observed the flustered human for a while longer before he thumped his tail on the ground, getting Alfred's attention.
"Are you upset with your actions? Do you not have the intention to court Sot Od?"
"Don't get me wrong, I like Gilbert," Alfred ran a hand through his hair, floundering slightly. "I just… Don't know if it's that kind of like! Isn't courting a huge step? That's basically asking him to marry me, which is crazy! We haven't nearly known each other long enough for that to be ok! Plus what about everything leading up to that? There should be like… Dating or something!
"I literally just gave him something that says 'I think you're hot and want to get with you', but to the extreme! I'm not ready for marriage! And we literally have a war on our doorstep! We don't have time for something like this!" Alfred wailed, throwing his hands up in the air.
Germania watched the frustrated display, head cocked to the side. "So from what I gather, you are only against the idea because it is too soon? And because the war looming over us is restricting you from having peace of mind?"
Alfred snorted, "Isn't everyone a little tense? I mean, it is a war we're talking about."
Humming, the Wyvern flexed his limbs before settling down into a hunched position. His tail curled around him and Alfred, drawing the former Knight closer.
"But that doesn't mean you don't have the right to seek happiness. Things have been rushed, yes, but that is alright. Take your time, Yuvon Krein. Think about if you really want to continue with this or not. No one is pressuring you." He paused, his scaly mouth turning into a frown. "Though I will admit I am rather disappointed another Dragon is not courting my son, I understand that if the faiths decided a different path for him than what I expected, then that is the way it must be. If anything, I am glad it was you who ended up trying to court him."
Alfred stared up at the beast, not knowing if he should be offended or not. "Um… Thanks? I guess?" He said, deciding to settle on it being a compliment of sorts.
Germania nodded his head, nudging Alfred so he would climb back up. "Think about it, Yuvon Krein. Do not take this topic lightly but do not also overthink it so much that you miss the opportunities. Romulus can help you with any more information you need."
"Really? Why would he know about this stuff?"
The Dragon laughed at this, the sound of a purr coming from him surprising Alfred. "Because that fool also courted a Dragon."
Alfred had every intention of talking to Romulus when he and Germania returned. When he had confronted the Knight about his courting of a Dragon, Romulus was more than happy to gush about it.
"But this is seriously different. You're married to a large, scaly Dragon!"
"So? Doesn't mean I can't love him." Romulus had thrown back, grinning all the while.
Alfred had attempted to get a grasp on how to go about courting Gilbert by using Romulus' advice, but some of it Alfred ignored. It was even more of a surprise when he asked who exactly Romulus had courted. When he had proudly stated Germania, Alfred decided that that was enough information for today and excused himself.
After a few hours of training, trying to get lost in thought, Alfred took a break in order to eat from the freshly picked apple pile the medics had set up. It was then that screaming from the Den caused Alfred to drop his apple and everyone in the vicinity to be on edge, staring at the Den entrance.
The wailing continued and Alfred rushed to see what was going on, weaving past other curious onlookers. Just as he reached the entrance, he stopped to catch his breath and stare. Kneeling on the floor at the entrance, clutching to Gilbert and crying furiously was Feliks.
When Feliks looked up at Gilbert with wide, tear-filled eyes, Alfred was able to see that his eyes were clear and no longer looked dead. He shook his head, ignoring those thoughts in favour of finding out why the recently freed man was crying like his life ended. Alfred grimaced at that, who was he kidding? It probably had.
"Gilbert, Gilbert please." Feliks was shaking Gilbert, hiccupping. "You've got to take me to him. He needs to know I'm ok!"
"Feliks…" Gilbert frowned, "I can't. You just woke up, the Elders want to keep you here to keep an eye on you…"
He shook his head furiously, breaking down into more sobbing. "No! I can't stay here anymore! I need to go back to him!" Feliks pushed Gilbert away, standing up on wobbly legs. He hiccupped, rubbing furiously at his face and holding a hand to the nearest wall. "If you won't help me, then I'll go there myself!"
Gilbert instantly leapt to his feet, hooking his hands under Feliks' arms and yanking him away from the wall. "Don't be stupid! You can't do teleportation magic! The best you'll do is shred your body up trying to get there!"
"I have to try! Toris needs me!"
Alfred moved over to help the struggling albino, standing in front of Feliks in order to gain his attention. "Feliks? Hi, I'm Alfred. Listen, I know you really want to go back to Toris, but you can't right now. I hate to say it, but you'd be more of a burden on him right now. You've been out of it for a few years, you don't know what's going on. And we still don't know if you'll fall back under the Capital's control the moment you leave the Den."
Feliks had frozen at Alfred's words, a broken pout forming the more Alfred spoke. Sniffing, Feliks rubbed at his dripping nose with the back of his sleeve.
"… Gilbert… Told me about what happened. He told me how long I've been… Under the Capital's control. I remember everything though. Everything I've done… and Vladimir, oh god they still have him!"
He lunged forward, grabbing Alfred by the shoulders and staring at him with wide eyes. "You have to get him out of there! Before the King sends him to a battle he can't win! The King, he's growing restless. He's become suspicious of his own people, his own guards! The King has sent spies throughout the Capital!"
"Wait, what do you mean?" Gilbert asked, expression growing sombre.
"Paranoid. A month ago, I remember Vladimir and I were sent out to a remote town. There was a demon the townspeople were hiding. A demon of eyes. We were to capture it and take it back to the Capital so that the King may use it whenever he desired." Feliks whispered, biting his bottom lip.
Gilbert and Alfred shared a look, the two frowning deeply before they diverted their attention back to Feliks. "What's so special about this demon?" Alfred voiced.
Feliks gnawed on his lip, rubbing his hands together. "It has the ability to see glimpses of the future, but at a price. Every time it predicts the future, it requires payment in the form of eyes. The King ordered one of his Knights to give up their eyes so he could make sure the future said his rule was absolute. Though, you know how demons can be. They love to trick and manipulate their words, so even if they tell the truth, they'll leave out bits and pieces. Just enough to get more of what they want."
"And… What did it say?" Gilbert was almost afraid to ask, but he needed to know.
Staring up at him with grim eyes, Feliks took a deep, shuddering breath. "The fall of your empire will come from your own Capital; hidden in the walls a rebellion is brewing. Be wary of the Middle, keep the Center locked up, but if you cling too tight to your crown, then your fate is sealed."
As the weight of the words settled, Gilbert too shared in the foreboding look that passed over Alfred's face. Cursing, Gilbert started leading Feliks back into the caves. He tried to keep his pace even, but it was obvious he was straining to rush the other.
"Feliks, listen, I know you want to find Toris, but I need your help. You need to show me the ins and outs of the Capital and the castle. Where the weaknesses are and the best places to attack. I need you in this war." He said, only glancing over his shoulder once as Alfred began to follow.
Feliks dug his feet into the ground, stopping their advancement in a surprisingly firm manner. "No."
"Feliks-."
"No, you listen to me," Feliks slapped away Gilbert's hands, rounding on him and glaring with a fiery passion. "I have been mind-controlled and manipulated for years, forced to imprison creatures of all kinds so they could also be mind-controlled, forced to abandon my darling for years, and then I come to and find that one of my friends is actually an offspring of a Dragon that's planning on storming the Capital in order to overthrow the King!"
With each reason he jabbed a finger into Gilbert's chest, advancing on the taller male and forcing him to take a step back. "Gil, for old time sakes I will help you with all that you need to know about the Capital and castle, but that is it. After I give you the information, you are to get Vladimir out of there, free him from his mind-control, and then let him decide what he wants to do. As for me, I want you to take me to Toris! I'm tired of fighting in a war I wanted no part in! It took everything from me and I wasn't even aware enough to know! So no, I will not fight in this war. But I will help you just so you can try and help those the king hurt."
Gilbert's frown deepened, but he nodded, settling a hand on Feliks' shoulder in a comforting manner. "Ok, ok. You don't have to be a part of this. Just aid us in any way you can."
With a nod, Feliks let Gilbert lead him towards one of the rooms in the Den filled with maps of the Capital. Alfred lingered, watching them leave before he got an idea. Turning around, he locked down the mixed feelings swelling in his chest. Now was not the time to think about what he planned on doing. It may be taking a few steps back, but Alfred felt it was better than just starting from where he currently was.
So when Gilbert left the Den, Feliks not in tow, Alfred waved to get the albino's attention. Gilbert seemed grateful to sit down next to Alfred by the growing fire, letting out a groan as he rubbed his face.
"How'd it go? You were down there for a while." Which was an understatement. It had been a few hours since then and Alfred already managed to hunt and cook what he needed.
"Stressful. The information Feliks gave us was good and up-to-date, but there's a lot less openings then I thought. Plus with what that eye demon predicted? I'm worried we may have to push our plans up sooner than I'd like." He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
Alfred was going to respond, but the sound of Gilbert's stomach rumbling made him pause. Chuckling, Alfred picked up the slices of rabbit meat that had already been cooked and spiced, offering it to the albino.
"Figured you'd want something to eat. It isn't much, but you'd be surprise how many rabbits are hanging around here. You'd figure they'd live far away from a nest of Dragons."
The surprise that radiated from Gilbert was palpable and, even though Alfred was a rolling ocean of nerves inside, he didn't let that show up on his face. He instead gave Gilbert one of his bright grins, the smile widening when Gilbert gratefully took the offered plate.
"You hunted this?" He asked, a brow quirked.
Nodding, Alfred picked up his own plate, adding some spices he had sitting next to him. Closing the spice jars, he kept them off to the side while he began digging into his meal. Gilbert watched him for a moment longer before he too began eating, a small smile on his face and a light flush adorning his cheeks.
Once the meal was done, Gilbert let out a longwinded sigh and leaned against Alfred, resting his head on his shoulder. Alfred jumped slightly in surprise, but his body instantly relaxed. He hummed, hesitating before he rested his head on Gilbert's, silently hoping he wasn't going past any boundaries.
"You know…" Gilbert started, staring into the fire. "When I was younger, my father kept everyone from telling me about the prophecy."
This took Alfred aback slightly, his eyes widening in shock. "Really?" He asked, voicing his surprise.
Gilbert nodded, humming in further confirmation. "Yeah. He was afraid of the prophecy coming true. He didn't want his son to start a war and possibly die. He'd rather we stay the way we were, hiding away where his hatchling could be safe from harm."
Alfred was quiet for a while, not really sure of what to say. "Well… I kind of get it. He's a father, of course he'd want to protect his child."
"Mmm… But then Yao's clan came and not long after, Kiku. My father couldn't deny the prophecy once they appeared and he couldn't hide it from me. Yao and Kiku, their clan were happy their own would be what frees the land from the King's rule. They raised them knowing their purpose, I only learned mine 7 years ago. I've been training, planning, and working so hard for this. I'm so close, so close to fulfilling our destiny." Gilbert bit his lip, brows creasing. "But… I'm worried. I know this will make a war. It may not last long in an actual "war" sense, but it will be a war nonetheless. Many will die, I know this. I'm just afraid of who it'll be…"
Alfred's heart ached for Gilbert's broken tone, the actual worry laced in his voice. Without giving himself time to think the action over, Alfred wrapped an arm around Gilbert's shoulder and pulled him tight into a one-armed hug. Gilbert melted into the touch, turning his face to bury it in Alfred's shoulder.
"It'll be ok," Alfred whispered, rubbing Gilbert's arm in slow, gentle motions. "You'll see. We'll win this war, we'll make a difference. Even… Even if some of us die, it'll be for a good cause. You will lead us to victory. I have faith in this plan – in you."
Gilbert would deny that the stinging in his eyes had anything to do with tears, his eyes were only watering because of the smoke from the fire. Chuckling, Gilbert gave a small, watery smile and sighed softly. He sniffed, lifting one of his hands to settle it over the one Alfred had wrapped around him. He patted the hand that stilled, giving it a squeeze.
"Thank you, Alfred."
Alfred flushed lightly, his heart skipping a beat slightly. A goofy smile pulled at his face, his hand resuming its comfort rubbing when Gilbert let it go.
"Anytime, Gilbert. Anytime."